Why is their so much hospital acquired infection killing patients?

Question

Nearly 110,000 patients die each year from hospital acquired infections.

Answer 1

because they are not keeping the hospitals clean as they need to be. the nurses are so short handed that they do not have time to wash hands and clean up after each patient.

Answer 2

There are a number of reasons -
1. Health workers do not wash and correctly sanitize their hands and equipment
2. Hospital patients already have highly weakened immune systems and are at even greater risks of being infected by either airborne pathogens or diseases caused by contact with; visitors, doctors, nurses, silverware, food, doorknobs.
3. The fact that there are so many diseases present in the air from patients makes the air a hotbed of germs. Also air conditioning circulates many diseases.
4. Also the fact that there are so many different types of infections makes it difficult for doctors to quickly diagnose the disease.

Answer 3

Hospitals can be a breeding ground for bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Unless the housekeeping crew does a very thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces, the bacteria can mutate and infect subsequent patients who use the bed, the gurney, and many other surfaces. Once the bacteria mutates, it is no longer the original organism that may have responded to standard protocol and/or antibiotics. As it passes to the next person, and the next person, it continues to mutate. so protocal that may have worked on others, may not work on newer patients.

Answer 4

Almost all hospital acquired infections are spread because of poor hand-washing habits and techniques. Every employee and visitor in every hospital should know how to wash their hands properly. Hands should be washed before and after contact with each patient-NO EXCEPTIONS
This is how everyone should wash their hands.
#1 Use a paper towel to turn on water.
#2-Wet hands
#3 Apply lots of soap into hands- preferably antibacterial liquid soap
#4 Rub hands together briskly making lots of suds=bubbles all over your hands, backs and between fingers too.
YOU MUST RUB SOAP ON HANDS FOR A FULL 15 SECONDS!!!! THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT. The soap and rubbing your hands together loosens the dirt and germs from your skin.
#5 Rinse hands thoroughly under running water
#6 Dry hands well with clean paper towels
#7 Use clean paper towel to turn off water.
These are the basic steps to washing your hands.

Answer 5

Because of unsanitary people and conditions. There needs to be a strict enforcement of hand washing, wearing masks and gloves and surgical gowns when applicable. Also the housekeeping staff need to also take precautions. and need to be inspected often. People have gotten neglegent and just plain I don't care doesn't matter attitude. They are dealing with peoples lives here and need to either take an oath or some form of committment .
There have even been people who have had surgery's and started having problems after and when they were ex-rayed
found surgical tools, inside, or a piece of cloth. I saw that on documents on TV.

Answer 6

The actual number is much lower than that, but still too high. Some of it has to do with the fact that many such infections involve strongly antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Often the hospital is not the original source of said bacteria: people admitted to the hospital carry their germs with them, and of course, many people admitted to the hospital have seriously compromised immune systems.
It is not always possible to know that a person being admitted to the hospital harbors such dangerous bacteria. It is known that a major reason so many germs are turning up powerfully drug-resistant is the widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture - beef animals are given huge doses of antibiotics because that enables them to put on more weight before being sold for slaughter, and that makes more money for the cattle breeder. Farm animals are raised on feed laced with antibiotics, too. Those practices practically guarantee the development of what are called "multiple drug-resistant strains" of bacteria that can infect people as well as farm animals.
Another problem is the widespread use of antibiotic-laced household cleansers and soaps. We have gotten the mistaken notion that antibiotics in our hand soap is better for handwashing than regular soap. The reality is, antibiotic-laced hand cleansers do not clean any better than ordinary soaps. But they do contribute to the development of those drug-resistant strains of germs we're talking about.
Bottom line: it is quite wrong to blame the hospitals for all those cases where people contract life-threatening infections while in hospital. You simply cannot keep germs out of hospitals any more than you can keep them out of your toilet or the barnyard. You can, however, take reasonable steps to reduce the amount of drug-resistant germs by outlawing the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in agriculture and in common products like hand soap...and of course, practicing good personal hygene.

Answer 7

Unfortuneately, this is all too true. Patients need to advocate for themselves or have someone there to help, like a friend or family member. Germs are rampant and nurses and doctors alike need to take the time to wash hands and change gloves.When you go from pt. to pt. that is when germs spread. Don't be afraid to suggest that a nurse or Dr. wash their hands before treating you.

Answer 8

Hospitals are filled with sick people, open wounds, infections, etc. That is a GREAT starting point for these germs that you mention. Follow that up with imperfect humans who seem incapable of practicing all the precautions that they know that they should and you have a volatile mix that spells death for many.

My dad went into the hospital with SERIOUS heart disease. Twenty days and three surgeries he was still alive and fighting until ... you guessed it, a massive lung infection killed him. I just shook my head.

Answer 9

Hospitals are so short staff these days they dont take the time for the patients or the sterilazation of things in the hospital its just a rush thing right in right out than you end up in worse shape than you were in before you went.

Answer 10

Two reasons. People are sick and usually have a lower immune system response to 'insults'. More importantly a hospital in it's attempt to destroy bacteria actually make new strains stronger. Bacteria is very adaptable and although many will die the ones that mutate are resistant to efforts to contain it.